[net.books] Lessing"s Canopus Series

ark (04/19/83)

There is a fifth book, called "The Sentimental Agents
in the Voylen Empire"

If you liked the other four, you'll like this one.

zz104bk (04/24/83)

While I agree with your statement that it doesn't matter what is in
net.books as long as the articles are about  books.

But, I must disagree with you about your definitions of morality
in literature. First, the "heros always wear white" has got to be
the stupidest archtype in the arsinal of human knowledge. Hero's
come in all sizes and shapes and colours. 
Number two: Are you suggesting that Ellison's works suffer because
they are "immoral". And what does morality have to do with Heros.
Heinlein definitely tells you who the hero of his story is, and
never lets you doubt it. But he has got to be the most "immoral"
author out there, at least by your definitions. Personally, I would
rather read something that it interesting and spicy than dull and
"moral". If I want to read morality I will read the bible or some
other religious work that I have no intention of reading.

		    Thanks for you 'y'
		    Brian Keves
		    !sdccsu3!zz104bk

hutch (04/28/83)

In article sdccsu3.578, Brian Keves continues a discussion that I never
saw the original to, about Ellison.  The gist seems to be that someone
out there said Ellison's work was immoral, and Brian suggests that Ellsion
<- Ellison (sorry, Harlan)  ought not be read if you want to read about
morals and such.

Well, I found "A Boy and His Dog" to be very much a moral treatise, and
similarly "Croatoan" is extremely concerned with morality.

I am not convinced that Ellison has a sound moral sense, but that is another
problem entirely.  It might explain why it is that I find most of the recent
themes he has presented to be just too depressing.  There is only so much of
the well-presented, nicely written angst and misery, that I can take.  This
has unfortunately put me off of Ellison, and I don't know if he has gotten
any better.

Does anyone else share my weariness with the extremely dreary world-view of
Harlan and hsi ilk?

Hutch